Each year, thousands of batteries, and their harmful components, are dumped in landfills rather than recycled. Don’t become part of this statistic. Indeed, it’s your best interest to recycle your old car battery, as many scrap metal and battery recycling companies will pay you money for it.
How to safely remove your car battery
To recycle your car battery, you’ll first need to remove it from your vehicle. It’s a good idea to wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection. Here’s how to remove your car battery in three easy steps:
Disconnect the positive and negative cables. Start by disconnecting the cable from the negative battery terminal. It should have a black or grey coating. Next, disconnect the cable from the positive terminal. It should have a red coating. You’ll likely need to use a wrench to loosen the nut on each terminal. However, be very careful that your wrench doesn’t touch both the positive and negative terminals at once as this could lead to you getting an electrical shock.
Remove the hold-down device. Once you remove the cables from the battery terminals, you’ll need to take off the battery hold-down device. This is usually located near the base of the battery and in the form of a strap, clip or block.
Inspect and remove the battery. After you free your battery from its compartment, make sure it doesn’t have any cracks or punctures and that there isn’t any surface damage that could cause it to leak fluid. A leaking battery requires extreme caution as coming into contact with battery acid can cause burns and even lead to long-term health issues.
If you aren’t confident removing your car battery yourself, you can bring your vehicle into Prairie Battery and we’ll be happy to help.
It’s best to immediately bring your car battery to a recycling centre or scrap metal yard, but if you can’t, you may store it in a cool, dry place that isn’t exposed to extreme temperatures for up to six months. Once you’re ready to recycle the battery, you should double-bag it for easy transportation.
Automotive Battery Specialists in Toronto, Edmonton, Brandon & Winnipeg
If you need to recycle your car battery, Prairie Battery is the place to go. We specialize in automotive batteries and carry an impressive selection of AGM, lead-acid and gel batteries from industry-leading brands. In addition, we have a large inventory of booster packs, chargers and other accessories to ensure you stay safe on the road. Contact us for expert advice and service.